Maguire five off the lead after opening round 71 in extreme heat
Golf
Leona Maguire remains very much in contention at the Olympics after an opening round level-par 71 left her five shots off the field.
Maguire’s last competitive round had seen her card a record-equalling 61 at the Evian Championship in France and while she didn’t hit those heights last night, the Ballyconnell superstar still turned in a solid round.
Leona parred the first three holes before bogeying the par-3 fourth but she responded in good style by recording a birdie on the fifth.
Her back nine featured two bogeys and two birdies, including a 20-foot putt on 17 which helped her finish level for the day.
“I stayed patient and it was nice to put up a birdie on 17 and par on 18,” she told the Irish Examiner.
The conditions were intense, with boiling heat and humidity – Maguire’s playing partner Bianca Pagdanganan actually wore an ice pack on her head when not hitting the ball – and organisers have taken action, with carts carrying ice and cooling towels to be deployed in round two as well as umbrellas on the first tee.
Olympic organisers have since warned that the tournament may be reduced to a 54-hole affair amid fears over incoming inclement weather on Saturday through Sunday. A decision will be reached after tomorrow's second round.
“I mean, this is hot. It’s hot for everybody,” said Maguire, who currently lies 23rd.
“Teeing off at 7.50 this morning it was hot. I did a lot of work with my team back home preparing for this. We knew it was going to be hot.
“It’s just a case of doing everything you can to keep cool. Whatever it takes to keep going, fluids, shade, ice. This is a marathon, it isn’t a sprint, so making sure the energy levels keep up.”
The 60-player field is very strong and her chances have been hindered a little by the news that the tournament may be reduced to three rounds, with inclement weather forecast, but the Cavan star is well capable of going low.
“I’m probably less in awe of everybody here and focusing in on myself a bit more,” she said.
“These are the girls I am playing with week in week out, as opposed to Rio when they were the girls I watched on TV week in and week out.
“So it has a bit of a different feel. At the same time, they are just as good golfers as they were the last time, if not more. I would say the field is a lot stronger here than it was in Rio.”
Sweden’s Madeline Sagstrom leads the way on five-under par followed by USA’s Nelly Korda and India’s Aditi Astok on four-under.